'Spring Awakening' teens deal with same hot-button issues in 2011

View full sizeAndy Snow/Special to The TimesPictured are title characters Wendla Bergmann and Melchior Gabor in "Spring Awakening."

View full sizeAndy Snow/Special to The TimesA scene from "Spring Awakening."

HUNTSVILLE, AL. -Abortion.

Homosexuality.

Sex.

All taboo issues on the spectrum of adolescence that teens confront one way or another during their quest of self-discovery.

And then there’s the Broadway sensation “Spring Awakening,” a coming-of-age musical that tackles every contentious topic – from teenage suicide to sexual abuse – all with a relatable and digestible musical score in the form of alternative rock ’n’ roll.

Oddly enough, this barrier-breaking production is adapted from an 1891 German play by Frank Wedekind that was banned for its so-called controversial subject matter.

But, no matter if it’s the late 19th century or the dawn of the 21st century, the issues are still relevant. Despite a 120-year gap, modern-day iPod-toting teenagers are just as confused and curious as the Deutsch young people portrayed in the play.

Controversy not dated

The play is a long way from being a lighthearted and jovial run-of-the-mill fable with a happy ending. Its content is truthful and honest and puts real things into perspective – hence the push for parents to bring their teens to the performance to open a stream of conversation.

Take the character Wendla as an example. She has no clue about how children are conceived. She ultimately ends up pregnant with her mother forcing her to have an abortion. Wendla dies as a result of the procedure. Then there’s Martha, who is sexually abused by her father. And Moritz, who has supposedly failed in his father’s eyes, is thrown out of his house, and kills himself due to constant rejection.

“This show has so many facets of commentary on life and exploration of self, and you cannot pin it down to one thing,” said Chris Wood, who plays Melchior, a young radical with an intense thirst for knowledge. “And the story was so controversial back then and it’s still today, so that says a lot.

“Look at where we have come, but what we haven’t accomplished. People still don’t know how to express themselves, teens struggle to grasp their sexuality, and it’s natural. That’s what happens when you grow into an adult body.”

Dressed as German teens in the late 1800s fashion, the cast portrays characters who are really no different from present-day kids. Yes, there’s a newfangled concept with a live band on stage, but that’s to contemporize the emotions of the characters, Wood said.

“It’s interesting how the alternative rock score brings us to a contemporary world,” he said. “It gives the audience permission and guidance on how to relate to these characters.

“You are these characters – 1891 or 2011, it’s not so unreachable.”

Trials and tribulations

Sarah Kleeman plays five different women in “Spring Awakening,” representing female authority figures as they deal with their teens going through the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Two of Kleeman’s characters are mothers of teens who undergo the same personal strife all parents handle during those years.

One mother, for example, is uberconservative and has no intention of talking about the birds and the bees, Kleeman said. Her other character is more of a forward-thinking person who wants her son to be educated and intelligent.

“Sheltering them is protecting them,” Kleeman said, “but, in the end, children will seek that information some other way. There’s a lot of influence out there with the media, school and social pressures.

“I personally don’t feel it’s controversial, but just honest. The show handles these issues in a real way and in a very respectful and effective way.

“I don’t feel there is anything that’s terribly shocking, just thought-provoking and emotional.”